Some time ago I started a serial here called “The Cannibal Priests of New England.” The idea was to update regularly but without forethought. I was to write each segment cold, making it up entirely as I went along. Everything was first draft; no revisions allowed. I maintained it for five installments before it became moribund, for a number of reasons I won’t get into here.

About six months ago, though, I started working on it again. I didn’t make any updates because my plans for it had changed. I recruited my friend Jeremy Duncan (an illustrator and blogger in the burgeoning OSR roleplaying industry, and husband of the fantastic new writer Alexandra Duncan) as an illustrator. I had ambitious plans: I wanted to launch the serial on its own dedicated website, with a design based on old pulp adventure magazines. The layout of the pages would be in large magazine-style typeface, with Jeremy’s illustrations adding some life to the entries, in the same way Sidney Paget lit up Sherlock Holmes in The Strand. I had some ideas for additional content, too. It all looked pretty wonderful in my mind’s eye.

Then I contacted a web designer and learned what all my pretty dreams would cost, and I scrapped just about all of it. What I kept, though, was the best part: namely, Jeremy’s illustrations.

So here we go again. I’m reposting the first five entries on a biweekly schedule, and from then on we’ll maintain that schedule (God willing) until the story is finished. I’ve already written well ahead of that fifth installment, so I think the prognosis is good. Once the story is done, we’ll see what happens. I’d love to see it printed in a small, illustrated book.

To those of you who have asked me about this story during its hiatus, thank you for your continued interest, and for your patience. I hope you like the new look as much as I do. This time it’s full steam ahead.

4 Responses to The relaunch of The (Illustrated) Cannibal Priests of New England

Of course, it is still feasible to do it as an illustration book etc. for the Kindle fire. And you can still do a website, though it may not have all the bells and whistles the original version in your mind’s eye had.
There’s a flash program (I think it’s open source? or there may be an open source version of it) that can create a “flipbook”—also, you can make a “trailer” of it through utilizing power point programs (some authors are doing that now, making trailers of their books.)
So, I wouldn’t say the website vision is dead in the water just because you can’t pay for the Jaguar model. Maybe you could get the Toyota Camry version.

I still say it would be a benefit to authors to take a basic HTML web site design class (either on a free tutorial or at a community college). I took my basic HTML continuing ed class at Wilson Tech in 1999 for $40. Best money I ever spent.

I don’t know; I think I’d rather just keep it here than run the Toyota Camry version. I don’t want to half-ass it.

Book trailers can be fun, but it’s a rare one that doesn’t look like rank amateurism; and that’s exactly what it would be if I made one myself. I think taking an HTML course is a fantastic idea, though. I’ll check into it.

What I meant was u can get a great looking site without half-assing it. But you just do what you think is best for the story. I’ve seen a few decent trailers. My only issue is time spent working on them or whatever takes time away from writing. That’s why I’m officially retiring my blog this year forever. Except maybe the periodic travel update so folks can see pics. it that’s it. I’m going into hermitdom. (though not as much as I’d like )

I think you hit the nail on the head with the issue of time. I don’t doubt that you’re right regarding the rest, but I’m no longer sure I can justify the time it would take to maintain it. The story is best served by writing it.

Hermitdom? Let me know what the rent is like there; I’ve been considering moving there for quite some time.